At the end of the school year, my son and his friends wanted to spend a day in New York City shopping at some popular stores, including PacSun.
Our group consisted of 12 kids and 3 parents, and we were all looking forward to a fun end-of-year trip. Everything was going well until we visited the store for a second time.
A security guard named Lasha, stepped in front of four girls and one boy, all between 13 and 14 years old, and refused to let them enter. The parents were waiting outside with the shopping bags, so we initially thought the issue might be related to the bags. To avoid any problems, we kept all of the bags with us.
The kids were then allowed back into the store, except for my son, who was singled out and denied entry again. This was his first experience with the brand, and he had genuinely fallen in love with the clothing. He wanted to purchase a pair of shorts, so I decided to accompany him into the store.
At that point, the security guard stepped in front of us and began speaking to us in a loud and confrontational manner in front of other customers and parents who were waiting outside. It was an extremely unpleasant, embarrassing, and uncomfortable experience for both my son and me.
I understand that the kids were excited and may have been talking loudly, but the security guard's reaction was completely disproportionate to the situation. The level of humiliation was unnecessary and unprofessional.
As a result, several of the kids became afraid to enter the store again. My son was eventually able to go inside only because I accompanied him.
I would also like to acknowledge the store manager, who handled the situation professionally and listened to our concerns. He agreed that the kids were being loud, but he was understanding and respectful throughout the conversation.
Despite the experience, my son purchased two shirts during our first visit and two pairs of shorts during the second visit. The store even offered us a discount, but my son was so uncomfortable after the incident that he wanted to leave as quickly as possible and avoid any further interaction with the security guard.
While we appreciated the manager's efforts, the behavior of the security guard left a very negative impression and significantly affected what should have been a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience
Beyond the incident involving my son, I personally witnessed the security guard behaving aggressively toward other customers. Several shoppers were looking through clothing stacks to find their sizes when he abruptly instructed them to take only the items from the top. His tone and demeanor appeared hostile and intimidating rather than helpful.
This was not an isolated interaction directed only at our group. Observing similar behavior toward other customers reinforced my concern that the issue was not simply a misunderstanding, but rather a pattern of conduct that negatively affected the overall shopping environment. read more